Organic compounds

ABSTRACT

A compound represented by the formula I 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     R 1  is —(CHR 4 ) m —(CHR 5 ) n —(CHR 6 ) o —CHO, with R 4 , R 5 , R 6  being independently selected from H or Me, and with m, n, o being independently selected from 0 and 1; R 2  is H or Me; and R 3  is a C3-C6 branched, linear or cyclic alkenyl residue. Said compounds are useful as perfume ingredients in personal care and household care products.

This invention relates to perfume ingredients and perfume preparations containing same. In particular, the invention relates to said perfume ingredients or perfume preparations that exhibit specific odour characteristics and might contribute to muguet (lily of the valley) odour characteristics. Still more particularly, the invention relates to said perfume preparations that contain no, or substantially no, Lilial™. The invention further relates to methods of making said perfume ingredients and perfume preparations, as well as the use of said perfume ingredients and perfume preparations in fine fragrances and consumer products, such as personal care and household care products. The invention also relates to said fine fragrances and consumer products containing said perfume ingredients or perfume preparations.

Compounds having muguet odour characteristics are very sought after perfume ingredients. These compounds are important ingredients in floral bases and can act is as harmonizers across many different types of fragrance creations. Compounds of this type are used widely in consumer products, such as personal care and consumer care products, as well as in fine perfumery, to generate pleasant odours or to mask unpleasant odours.

An excellent perfume ingredient widely valued for its muguet odour note is Lilial™ Lilial™ is an example of an aryl-substituted alkanal, more particularly an aryl-substituted propanal. Specifically, its chemical name is 3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-2-methylpropanal (CAS 80-54-6). This compound has found wide use in fine perfumery as well as in personal and household care products. However, its use has come under regulatory scrutiny in view of recent findings that it exhibits toxic effects on the reproductive organs of male rats and dogs. No effects were found in studies with mice, guinea-pigs and primates, nevertheless, under the Global Harmonized System (GHS) classification system this compound is classified as a CMR2 material. For CMR category 2 materials, it is necessary to establish that quantities proposed for use are harmless to consumers. In view of the regulatory situation of Lilial™ there is a need to replace it with other perfume ingredients.

WO2010105 873 addresses the problem of replacing Lilial™. The proposed solution resides in the use of mixtures of known ingredients commonly found in the perfumery palette in order to recreate odour characteristics substantially similar to those of Lilial™.

Likewise, WO2009027957 proposes a solution residing in the formulation of combinations of known perfume ingredients from the perfumery palette.

WO2013045301 also propose a solution to Lilial™ replacement, which resides in the selection of mixtures of ingredients including the compound Lilyflore™ and a certain indanyl propanal compound, in combination with other secondary perfuming ingredients.

The applicant has now found compounds that can be employed as perfume ingredients in perfume compositions and consumer products. More particularly, the applicant has found compounds that possess interesting odour characteristics. Still more particularly, the applicant has found compounds which may be used for the reconstitution for the odour of Lilial™ and so can serve in replacements for Lilial™. Furthermore, the compounds may have similar or even improved perfume performance compared with Lilial™. Finally, the applicant has found compounds that do not attract the regulatory concerns associated with Lilial™. In particular, the applicant has found that aryl-substituted alkanal perfume ingredients that are close structural analogues to Lilial™ but which, critically, contain a substituent on the aryl ring, which is positioned ortho to the group bearing the aldehyde functionality and/or contain an alkenyl substituent on the aryl ring, which is positioned para to the group bearing the aldehyde functionality, have interesting odour characteristics, but surprisingly carry with them none or significantly less of the CMR-related issues associated with Lilial™ as indicated by in vitro data.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides a compound represented by formula I

wherein R₁ is —(CHR₄)_(m)—(CHR₅)_(n)—(CHR₅)_(o)—CHO, with R₄, R₅, R₆ being independently selected from H or Me, and with m, n, o being independently selected from 0 and 1;

R₂ is H or Me; and

R₃ is a C3-C6 branched, linear or cyclic alkenyl residue.

Preferably, a compound represented by formula I is provided with R₁ and R₂ as defined above, and wherein R₃ is a C3-C6 branched, linear or cyclic alk-2-enyl residue particularly preferred a C3-C6 alk-2-enyl residue with an exo-methylene group.

In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a compound represented by formula 1, with R₁ and R₂ as defined above, and wherein R₃ is a C3-C6 branched, linear or cyclic alk-2-enyl residue carrying a CH₂ group in alpha position to the phenyl ring.

In a particular aspect of the invention, there is provided a compound represented by formula 1, with R₁ and R₂ as defined above, and wherein R₃ is selected from the group consisting of allyl, 2-methylallyl, 2-methylenebutyl, 3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl, 3-methylbut-3-en-2-yl and but-2-en-1-yl.

In a further aspect of the invention, the total number of carbon atoms of the compound represented by formula 1 does not exceed 16.

In yet more particular aspect of the present invention there is provided a compound selected from the group consisting of 3-(4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl) propanal, 3-(2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl) propanal, 3-(4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)butanal, 2-methyl-3-(4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)propanal, 3-(2-methyl-4-(2-methylenebutyl)phenyl) propanal, 2-(2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)acetaldehyde, 3-(4-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)phenyl)propanal, 3-(4-(2-methylenebutyl)phenyl) propanal, 2-(4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl) acetaldehyde, 3-(4-(3-methylbut-3-en-2-yl)phenyl) propanal, 2-(4-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)phenyl)acetaldehyde, 2-(2-methyl-4-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)phenyl)acetaldehyde and 3-(4-(but-2-en-1-yl)phenyl)propanal.

The compounds of the present invention possess specific odour characteristics and good performance characteristics, and the compounds might contribute to odour characteristics similar to Lilial™.

Furthermore, compounds of the present invention can generate particularly substantive and long-lasting odour characteristics, and they can contribute to particularly substantive and long-lasting muguet odour characteristics.

The compounds of the present invention are suitable perfume ingredients.

The compounds of the present invention might be particularly impactful perfume ingredients. The impact that a perfume ingredient exerts is related to its Odour Value. Odour Value is the ratio of vapour pressure to detection threshold concentration.

Some of the compounds might have extremely high Odour Values. For example, the structure related compound

having a substituent on the aryl ring, which is positioned ortho to the group bearing the aldehyde functionality, has an Odour Value of 559′071. Related perfume ingredients are not impactful by comparison. For example Lilial™ has an odour value of only 32′978 whereas cyclamen aldehyde has an Odour Value of only 21′986.

For example, 3-(2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)propanal has a high odour value when compared to Lilial™.

The high Odour Value of some of the compounds of the present invention is significant in that there is a need for sustainability and the provision of impactful perfume ingredients enables perfumers to create desirable fragrance accords with lower concentrations of materials.

The regulatory issues surrounding Lilial™ are born from the fact that it is enzymatically degraded in rats and dogs to tert-butyl benzoic acid (t-BBA), which is known to inhibit glucose synthesis and fatty acid synthesis in vitro (McCune et al, Arch Biochem Biophys (1982) 214 (1): 124-133).

tert-Butyl benzoic acid is known to cause testicular effects in male rats (Hunter et al. Food Cosmet. Toxicol. 1965, 3: 289-298; Cagen et al. J. Am. Coll. Toxicol. 1989, 8 (5): 1027-1038).

In contrast, the compounds of the present invention potentially circumvent toxicity issues.

In contrast to Lilial, where the aromatic ring is substituted with a metabolically inert t-butyl group in p-position to the propanal side chain, the compounds of the present invention carry a linear or branched alkenyl substituent (R₃ of the general formula I). This alkenyl substituent is likely to be subject to further oxidative metabolic degradation steps in vertebrates, such as hydroxylation or epoxidation with subsequent hydrolysis to a vicinal diol. The resulting metabolites will thus have different physical properties, eg. a higher water solubility, compared to p-t-butyl benzoic acid, and are thus expected not to exert the reproductive toxicity effects of p-t-butyl benzoic acidon male rats and dogs. Alternatively, the alkenyl substituents may prevent or reduce degradation of the propanal side chain to the substituted benzoic acid, e.g. if the described metabolization steps acting on the alkenyl substituent occur faster than the oxidative degradation of the propanal side chain.

Accordingly, the invention provides in another of its aspects the use of a compound defined hereinabove as a perfume ingredient.

The invention provides in another of its aspects the use of a compound defined hereinabove in a perfume composition as replacement for aryl-substituted propanal odourants, which are unsubstituted on the aryl ring at a position ortho and/or bear an alkenyl substituent at a position para to the substituent bearing the aldehyde functionality, in particular Lilial™.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of imparting a green odour characteristic to a perfume composition, said method comprising the step of incorporating a compound defined hereinabove into said perfume composition.

In yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a perfume composition comprising a compound defined hereinabove.

In yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a perfume composition possessing green aspects of muguet odour characteristics comprising a compound defined hereinabove.

In yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a perfume composition comprising a compound defined hereinabove that has a reduced amount of or is substantially free of any aryl-substituted propanal odourants, which are unsubstituted on the aryl ring at a position ortho to the substituent bearing the aldehyde functionality, in particular Lilial™.

A perfume composition according to the present invention can be made up entirely by one or more of the compounds of the present invention. However, a perfume composition may also contain, in addition to one or more of the compounds of present invention, one or more additional perfume ingredients.

Compounds of the present invention may be present in a perfume composition in any amount depending on the particular olfactive effect that a perfumer wishes to achieve. In a particular embodiment of the present invention, a perfume composition of the present invention may contain compounds defined hereinabove in an amount of 0.1 to 100% by weight of said composition.

If one or more additional perfume ingredients are employed, they may be selected from perfume ingredients known in the art.

Preferably, the at least one additional perfume ingredient that may be employed in a perfume composition possesses muguet odour characteristics, like 3-(4-isobutyl-2-methylphenyl)propanal.

In particular, said perfume ingredients that may be employed in a perfume composition according to the invention include (E/Z)-9-hydroxy-5,9-dimethyldec-4-enal, 6-methoxy-2,6-dimethylheptan-1-al (methoxymelonal), 5,9-dimethyl-4,8-decadienal (geraldehyde), beta-methyl-3-(1-methylethyl)benzenepropanal (Florhydral), octahydro-8,8-dimethylnaphthalene-2-carbaldehyde (Cyclomyral), alpha-methyl-1,3-benzodioxole-5-propionaldehyde (helional), 5-methyl-2-(1-methylbutyl)-5-propyl-1,3-dioxan (Troenan), 3-(o-ethylphenyl)-2,2-dimethylpropionaldehyde (Roralozone), farnesol, 3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-1,6,10-trien-3-ol, optionally as an isomeric mixture (nerolidol), 2-methyl-4-phenylbutan-2-ol (dimethylphenylethylcarbinol), cis-4-(isopropyl)cyclohexanemethanol (Mayol), 1-(1-hydroxyethyl)-4-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexane (optionally as a mixture of the diastereoisomers) (mugetanol), (4-methyl-3-pentenyl)cyclohexenecarbaldehyde (Citrusal), cyclohexyl salicylate, hexyl salicylate, benzyl salicylate, amyl salicylate, 3-(p-(2-methylpropyl)phenyl)-2-methylpropionaldehyde (Silvial), 3-p-cumenyl-2-methylpropionaldehyde (cyclamenaldehyde), mixtures of: cis-tetrahydro-2-isobutyl-4-methylpyran-4-ol; trans-tetrahydro-2-isobutyl-4-methylpyran-4-ol; (Florol), triethyl citrate and dipropylene glycol.

Said perfume ingredients may additionally include Amyl Salicylate (2050-08-0); Aurantiol® (89-43-0); Benzyl Salicylate (118-58-1); Cis-3-hexenyl Salicylate (65405-77-8); Citronellyl Oxyacetaldehyde (7492-67-3); Cyclemax (7775-00-0); Cyclohexyl Salicylate (25485-88-5); Cyclomyral® (68738-94-3); Citronellol (106-22-9); Geraniol (106-24-1); Cyclopentol Hc 937165 (84560-00-9); Cymal (103-95-7); Dupical (30168-23-1); Ethyl Linalool (10339-55-6); Floral Super (71077-31-1); Florhydral® (125109-85-5); Florol® (63500-71-0); Gyrane (24237-00-1); Hexyl Salicylate (6259-76-3); Helional™ (1205-17-0); Hydroxycitronellal (107-75-5); Linalool (78-70-6); Lyral® (31906-04-4); Majantol® (103694-68-4); Mayol® (13828-37-0); Melafleur (68991-97-9); Melonal (106-72-9); Mugetanol (63767-86-2); Muguesia (56836-93-2); Muguet alcohol (13351-61-6); Verdantiol (91-51-0); Peonile® (10461-98-0); Phenoxanol® (55066-48-3); Rossitol® (215231-33-7); Silvial® (6658-48-6); Suzural (6658-48-6); Muguol® (18479-57-7); Tetrahydro Linalol (78-69-3); Acalea (84697-09-6); Dihydro Iso Jasmonate (37172-53-5); Hexyl Cinnamic Aldehyde (101-86-0); Hedione® (24851-98-7); Acetoin (513-86-0); Adoxal (141-13-9); Aldolone® (207228-93-1); Ambrocenide® (211299-54-6); Ambroxan (3738-00-9); Azurone® (362467-67-2); Bacdanol® (28219-61-6); Calone 1951® (28940-11-6); Cetalox® (3738-00-9); Cinnamic alcohol (104-54-1); Citral (5392-40-5); Cyclabute (67634-20-2); Cyclacet™ (5413-60-5); Cyclaprop™ (17511-60-3); Cyclohexadecanolide (109-29-5); Cyclohexadecenone (3100-36-5); Cyclopentadecanone (507-72-7); Delta Damascone (57378-68-4); Ebanol® (67801-20-1); Elintaal Forte (40910-49-4); Ethyl Vanillin (121-32-4); Ethylene Brassylate (105-95-3); Exaltenone 942008 (14595-54-1); Exaltolide Total 935985 (106-02-5); Roralozone (67634-14-4); Fructalate (72903-27-6); Gamma Decalactone (706-14-9); Habanolide (111879-80-2); Helvetolide® (141773-73-1); Hexamethylindanopyran (1222-05-5); Hydroxyambran® (118562-73-5); Iso E Super® (54464-57-2); Iso Hexenyl Cyclohexenyl Carboxaldehyde (37677-14-8); Jasmal (18871-14-2); Javanol® (198404-98-7); Lauric Aldehyde (112-54-9); Mefranal (55066-49-4); Muscenone (63314-79-4); Tonalid® (1506-02-1); Nectaryl® (95962-14-4); Norlim Banol (70788-30-6); Para Hydroxy Phenyl Butanone (5471-51-2); Pino Acetaldehyde (33885-51-7); Romandolide® (236391-76-7); Sanjinol (28219-61-6); Silvanone® Supra (109-29-5/507-72-7); Terpineol (8000-41-7); Vanillin (121-33-5); and Velvione® (37609-25-9), wherein, the figures in parentheses are CAS numbers.

A perfume composition need not be limited to the perfume ingredients listed above. Other perfume ingredients commonly used in perfumery may be employed, for example any of those ingredients described in “Perfume and Flavour Chemicals”, S. Arctander, Allured Publishing Corporation, 1994, IL, USA, which is incorporated herein by reference, including essential oils, plant extracts, absolutes, resinoids, odourants obtained from natural products and the like.

The perfume ingredients contained in said perfume composition are described above, but of course, the perfume composition may not be limited to the stated ingredients. In particular, perfume mixtures may comprise adjuvants that are commonly employed in perfume formulations. The term “adjuvants” refers to an ingredient that might be employed in a perfume composition for reasons other than, or not specifically, related to the composition's olfactive performance. For example, an adjuvant may be an ingredient that acts as an aid to processing a perfume ingredient or ingredients, or a composition containing said ingredient(s), or it may improve handling or storage of a perfume ingredient or composition containing same. It might also be an ingredient that provides additional benefits such as imparting colour or texture. It might also be an ingredient that imparts light resistance or chemical stability to one or more ingredients contained in a perfume ingredient or composition containing same. A detailed description of the nature and type of adjuvants commonly used in perfume mixture or compositions containing same cannot be exhaustive, but it has to be mentioned that said ingredients are well known to a person skilled in the art. Examples of adjuvants include solvents and co-solvents; surfactants and emulsifiers; viscosity and rheology modifiers; thickening and gelling agents; preservative materials; pigments, dyestuffs and colouring matters; extenders, fillers and reinforcing agents; stabilisers against the detrimental effects of heat and light, bulking agents, acidulants, buffering agents and antioxidants.

Furthermore, any one or more of the perfume ingredients or adjuvants employed in the present invention might be formulated in a delivery vehicle if desired to provide a desired effect. Delivery vehicles may include encapsulates. Alternatively, a delivery vehicle may be in the form of a solid support, e.g. a polymeric support material onto which one or more perfume ingredients or adjuvants may be chemically or physically bound. Still further, one or more perfume ingredients or adjuvants may be dissolved or dispersed in a matrix material, which serves to control the rate at which said ingredient or ingredients emanates therefrom. In yet an alternative embodiment, one or more ingredients or adjuvants may be supported on a porous substrate, such as a cyclodextrin or a zeolite or other inorganic material. In a still further embodiment, one or more perfume ingredients may be provided in the form of a pro-perfume, which will react in a suitable environment to release the perfume ingredient in a controlled manner.

Preferably, in case of further perfume ingredients bearing a carbonyl functionality, the corresponding pro-perfume is a reaction product of a primary and/or secondary amine compound and the perfume ingredient.

In particular it is preferred that such a pro-perfume, also known as fragrance precursor, is a reaction product of a suitable amino compound and a compound represented by the formula I

wherein R₁ is —(CHR₄)_(m)—(CHR₅)_(n)—(CHR₆)_(o)—CHO; with R₄, R₅, R₆ being independently selected from H or Me, and with m, n, o being independently selected from 0 and 1;

R₂ is H or Me; and

R₃ is a C3-C6 branched, linear, or cyclic alkenyl residue.

By such a reaction, different products may be obtained, for example the corresponding imine, the enamine, the hemi-aminal or aminal.

A suitable amino compound for formation of the above mentioned pro-perfume can be selected from the group consisting of aromatic amines, in particular methyl 2-aminobenzoate (methyl anthranilate), 2-amino-acetophenone, ortho, meta or para aminobenzoates of formula II (wherein R1=C1-C12 linear or branched alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl or alkylaryl and R2=H, Me, Et); primary or secondary aliphatic amines, preferably C8-C30 linear or branched alkylamines or alkyldiamines; etheramines; ethylene- and propylene-amines; amino acids and derivatives; polyamines, in particular primary and secondary polyetheramines, polyethyleneimines, polypropyleneimines, polyamidoamines, polyamino acids, polyvinylamines, poly(ethylene glycol) bis(amine), amino substituted polyvinylalcohols; N-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole, nipecotamide, skatole and indole.

Alternatively, the pro-perfume suitable to release a compound of formula I may be provided as a product of a Knoevenagel condensation, an aldol formation, as an oxidative cleavable pro-perfume or an acetal or hemi-acetal.

Having regard to the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a perfume composition may be at least partly in solid form, in gel form, in foam form and/or liquid form. If it is present in solid form, it then it may take the form of granules, powders or tablets.

The present invention provides in another of its aspects a fine fragrance or consumer product, such as a personal care or household care composition that is perfumed by a compound represented by the formula I

wherein R₁ is —(CHR₄)_(m)—(CHR₅)_(n)—(CHR₆)_(o)—CHO; with R₄, R₅, R₆ being independently selected from H or Me, and with m, n, o being independently selected from 0 and 1;

R₂ is H or Me; and

R₃ is a C3-C6 branched, linear or cyclic alkenyl residue.

In a particular embodiment the invention provides a fine fragrance or consumer product, such as a personal care or household care composition that is perfumed by a compound represented by the formula I with R₁ and R₂ as defined above, and wherein R₃ is a C3-C6 branched, linear or cyclic alk-2-enyl residue particularly preferred a C3-C6 alk-2-enyl residue with an exo-methylene group.

In another particular embodiment the invention provides a fine fragrance or consumer product, such as a personal care or household care composition that is perfumed by a compound represented by the formula 1 with R₁ and R₂ as defined above, and wherein R₃ is a C3-C6 branched, linear or cyclic alk-2-enyl residue that is carrying a CH₂ group in alpha position to the phenyl ring.

In another particular embodiment the invention provides a fine fragrance or consumer product, such as a personal care or household care composition that is perfumed by a compound represented by the formula 1 with R₁ and R₂ as defined above, and wherein R₃ is selected from the group consisting of allyl, 2-methylallyl, 2-methylenebutyl, 3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl, 3-methylbut-3-en-2-yl and but-2-en-1-yl.

In yet more particular embodiments of the present invention there is provided a fine fragrance or consumer product, such as a personal care or household care composition that is perfumed by at least one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of 3-(4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)propanal, 3-(2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl) propanal, 3-(4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)butanal, 2-methyl-3-(4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)propanal, 3-(2-methyl-4-(2-methylenebutyl)phenyl)propanal, 2-(2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl) acetaldehyde, 3-(4-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)phenyl)propanal, 3-(4-(2-methylenebutyl)phenyl) propanal, 2-(4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)acetaldehyde, 3-(4-(3-methylbut-3-en-2-yl)phenyl)propanal, 2-(4-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)phenyl)acetaldehyde, 2-(2-methyl-4-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)phenyl)acetaldehyde and 3-(4-(but-2-en-1-yl)phenyl)propanal, or the corresponding pro-perfumes.

The compounds defined above, when added to a fine fragrance or consumer product, such as a personal care or household care composition, may impart a characteristic odour to said compositions, preferably a green odour. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of imparting specific odour characteristics, preferably green odour characteristics, to a fine fragrance or consumer product, such as a personal care or household care composition comprising the step of adding to said composition a compound defined above or a perfume composition containing said compound.

In yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of imparting specific odour characteristics, in particular green odour characteristics, to a fine fragrance or consumer product, such as a personal care or household care composition, comprising the step of selectively adding to said fine fragrance or consumer product an aryl-substituted alkanal compound defined above, and selectively excluding from said fine fragrance or consumer product any aryl-substituted alkanal compounds, which are unsubstituted on the aryl ring at a position ortho to the substituent bearing the aldehyde functionality or unsubstituted by an alkenyl residue on the ring at the position para to the substituent containing aldehyde functionality.

In yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of imparting green odour characteristics to a fine fragrance or consumer product, such as a personal care or household care composition, comprising the step of adding thereto an aryl-substituted alkanal compound defined above, and selectively excluding from said fine fragrance or consumer product any aryl-substituted alkanal compounds, which are unsubstituted on the aryl ring at a position ortho to the substituent bearing the aldehyde functionality or unsubstituted by an alkenyl residue on the ring at the position para to the substituent containing aldehyde, said selective addition or exclusion being based on the susceptibility of said compounds to enzymatically-mediated degradation to their benzoic acid derivatives when incubated with hepatocytes isolated from rats, said compounds being suitable for addition on the basis that they do not degrade to their benzoic acid derivatives under test conditions or they degrade to non-toxic benzoic acid derivatives, whereas said compounds being excluded on the basis that they do degrade to their benzoic acid derivatives under test conditions.

In yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a perfume composition comprising an aryl-substituted alkanal compound bearing an alkenyl substituent on the aryl ring para to a substituent bearing the aldehyde functionality and/or a methyl substituent on the ring at a position ortho to the group bearing the aldehyde functionality, in a suitable container, together with labelling that does not contain any CMR2 classification.

Consumer products, such as personal and household care compositions include, but are not limited to a textile treatment product, an ironing aid, a cleaning cloth, a laundry detergent, a cleaning product, in particular, for hard and/or soft surfaces, a household cleaner, a care product, a wash care product, a laundry care product, a room fragrancer, and air freshener, a conditioner, a colorant, a fabric conditioner, a conditioning substrate, a pharmaceutical, a crop protection product, a polish, a food, a cosmetic product, a fertilizer, a building material, an adhesive, a bleach, a decalcifier, an autocare product, floorcare product, cookercare product, leathercare product or furniture care product, a scourer, a disinfectant, a fragrancer, a mold remover and/or a precursor of the aforementioned products.

The skilled person is fully aware of the applicability of perfume ingredients, and compositions to fine fragrance applications, as well as all manner of consumer product applications, such as personal and house hold care compositions and a very detailed description of such compositions is not warranted here. However, specific compositions that can be mentioned include cleaning compositions; autocare compositions; Cosmetic compositions; textile treatment compositions; and air freshener and air care compositions.

Cleaning products include:—

Toilet cleaners or lavatory cleaners, in other words, products for cleaning lavatory bowls and urinals, these products being supplied preferably in the form of powders, blocks, tablets or liquids, preferably gels. Besides other typical ingredients such as surfactants, they generally include organic acids e.g., citric acid and/or lactic acid) or sodium hydrogen sulfate, amidosulfuric acid or phosphoric acid for removing limescale or urine scale;

Pipe-cleaning products or drain cleaners. These are typically strongly alkaline products which serve in general to remove pipe blockages comprising organic materials-such as hair, fat, food residues, soap deposits, and the like. Additions of Al powder or Zn powder may serve for the formation of H2 gas with an effervescence effect. Possible ingredients are commonly alkalis, alkaline salts, oxidizing agents, and neutral salts. Supply forms in powder form preferably also include sodium nitrate and sodium chloride. Pipe-cleaning products in liquid form may preferably also include hypochlorite. There are also enzyme-based drain cleaners as well. Acidic products are likewise possible;

Universal or all-purpose or general-purpose cleaners. These are cleaners which can be used universally for all hard surfaces in the household and in commerce that can be wiped down wet or damp. Generally speaking, they are neutral or slightly alkaline or slightly acidic products, especially liquid products. All-purpose or general-purpose cleaners generally contain surfactants, builders, solvents and hydrotropes, dyes, preservatives, and the like;

All-purpose cleaners with special disinfectant properties. They additionally include active antimicrobial ingredients (e.g., aldehydes, alcohols, quaternary ammonium compounds, amphoteric surfactants, triclosan);

Sanitary cleaners. These are products for cleaning in bath and toilet. The alkaline sanitary cleaners are used preferably for removing fatty soiling, whereas the acidic sanitary cleaners are employed in particular, for removing limescale. Sanitary cleaners advantageously also have a considerable disinfectant action, particularly the strongly alkaline sanitary cleaners that contain chlorine;

Oven cleaners or grill cleaners which may be supplied in the form of gels or foam sprays. They generally serve for removing burnt-on or carbonized food residues. Oven cleaners are preferably given a strongly alkaline formulation using, for example, sodium hydroxide, sodium metasilicate, 2-aminoethanol. In addition they generally contain anionic and/or nonionic surfactants, water-soluble solvents, and, in some cases, thickeners such as polycarboxylates and carboxymethylcellulose;

Metal polishes. These are cleaners for particular types of metal such as stainless steel or silver. Stainless steel cleaners preferably contain, besides acids (preferably up to 3% by weight, e.g., citric acid, lactic acid), surfactants (in particular, up to 5% by weight, preferably nonionic and/or anionic surfactants), and water, solvents as well (preferably up to 15% by weight) to remove fatty soiling, and also further compounds such as thickeners and preservatives. Very fine polishing structures are included, furthermore, in products for preferably bright stainless steel surfaces. Silver polishes, in turn, may be provided in an acidic formulation. In particular, for removing black deposits of silver sulfide they contain, preferably, complexing agents (e.g., thiourea, sodium thiosulfate). Typical supply forms are polishing cloths, dipping baths, pastes, and liquids. Dark discolorations (oxide layers) are removed using copper cleaners and nonferrous-metal cleaners (e.g., for brass and bronze). They generally have a weakly alkaline formulation (preferably with ammonia) and in general contain polishing agents and also, preferably, ammonium soaps and/or complexing agents;

Glass cleaners and window cleaners. These products serve preferably to remove dirt, especially greasy dirt, from glass surfaces. Preferably they contain compounds such as anionic and/or nonionic surfactants (in particular, up to 5% by weight), ammonia and/or ethanolamine (in particular, up to 1% by weight), ethanol and/or 2-propanol, glycol ethers (in particular, 10-30% by weight), water, preservatives, dyes, anti-misting agents and the like;

Special-purpose cleaning products, examples being those for glass-ceramic hobs, and also carpet cleaners and stain removers.

Autocare products include:—

Paint preservers, paint polishes, paint cleaners, wash preservers, shampoos for auto washing, auto-wash and wax products, polishes for trim metals, protective films for trim metals, plastics cleaners, tar removers, screen cleaners, engine cleaners, and the like.

Cosmetic products include:—

(a) cosmetic skincare products, especially bath products, skin washing and cleansing products, skincare products, eye makeup, lip care products, nail care products, intimate care products, foot care products; (b) cosmetic products with specific effects, especially sunscreens, tanning products, de-pigmenting products, deodorants, antiperspirants, hair removers, shaving products, perfumes; (c) cosmetic dental-care products, especially dental and oral care products, tooth care products, cleaners for dental prostheses, adhesives for dental prostheses; and (d) cosmetic hair care products, especially hair shampoos, hair care products, hair setting products, hair-shaping products, and hair coloring products.

Textile treatment products include:—

Detergents or fabric conditioners, for example, in either liquid or solid form.

Air fresheners and room fragrancers include:—

Products that contain preferably volatile and usually pleasant-smelling compounds which advantageously can even in very small amounts mask unpleasant odours. Air fresheners for living areas contain, in particular, natural and synthetic essential oils such as pine needle oils, citrus oil, eucalyptus oil, lavender oil, and the like, in amounts for example of up to 50% by weight. As aerosols they tend to contain smaller amounts of such essential oils, by way of example less than 5% or less than 2% by weight, but additionally include compounds such as acetaldehyde (in particular, <0.5% by weight), isopropyl alcohol (in particular, <5% by weight), mineral oil (in particular, <5% by weight), and propellants. Other presentation forms include sticks and blocks. They are produced typically using a gel concentrate comprising essential oils. It is also possible to add formaldehyde (for preservation) and chlorophyll (preferably <5% by weight), and also further ingredients. Air fresheners are not, however, restricted to living spaces, but may also be intended for autos, cupboards, dishwashers, refrigerators or shoes, and even their use in vacuum cleaners is a possibility. In the household (e.g., in cupboards), for example, in addition to the odour improvers, disinfectants as well are employed, containing preferably compounds such as calcium phosphate, talc, stearin, and essential oils, these products taking the form, for example, of sachets.

Consumer product compositions referred to hereinabove, particularly those for use in washing or cleaning applications may contain one or more of the following substances:

Builder substances, surfactants, enzymes, bleaching agents, such as preferably organic and/or inorganic peroxygen compounds, peroxygen activators, water-miscible organic solvents, sequestering agents, electrolytes, pH regulators, thickeners, and further adjuvants such as soil release active substances, optical brighteners, graying inhibitors, color transfer inhibitors, foam regulators, and dyes.

Surfactant include anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof, but also cationic surfactants, are appropriate. Suitable nonionic surfactants are, in particular, ethoxylation and/or propoxylation products of alkyl glycosides and/or of linear or branched alcohols each having 12 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl portion and 3 to 20, by preference 4 to 10, alkyl ether groups. Also usable are corresponding ethoxylation and/or propoxylation products of N-alkylamines, vicinal diols, fatty acid esters and fatty acid amides that correspond, in terms of the alkyl portion, to the aforesaid long-chain alcohol derivatives, and of alkylphenols having 5 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl residue.

Suitable anionic surfactants include soaps, and those that contain sulfate or sulfonate groups having preferably alkali ions as cations. Soaps include alkali salts of the saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 12 to 18 carbon atoms. Such fatty acids can also be used in incompletely neutralized form. Included among the usable surfactants of the sulfate type are the salts of the sulfuric acid semi-esters of fatty alcohols having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and the sulfated products of the aforesaid nonionic surfactants having a low degree of ethoxylation. Included among the usable surfactants of the sulfonate type are linear alkylbenzenesulfonates having 9 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl portion, alkanesulfonates having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and olefinsulfonates having 12 to 18 carbon atoms that are produced upon reaction of corresponding monoolefins with sulfur trioxide, as well as alpha-sulfofatty acid esters that are produced upon sulfonation of fatty acid methyl or ethyl esters.

Cationic surfactants include esterquats and/or the quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs). QACs may be produced by the reaction of tertiary amines with alkylating agents such as methyl chloride, benzyl chloride, dimethyl sulfate, dodecyl bromide, but also ethylene oxide. The alkylation of tertiary amines having a long alkyl residue and two methyl groups occurs particularly easily, and the quaternization of tertiary amines having two long residues and one methyl group can also be carried out using methyl chloride under mild conditions. Amines that possess three long alkyl residues or hydroxy-substituted alkyl residues have low reactivity, and are quaternized, for example, using dimethyl sulfate. Suitable QACs are, for example, benzalkonium chloride (N-alkyl-N,N-dimethylbenzylammonium chloride), benzalkon B (m,p-dichlorobenzyldimethyl-C12-alkylammonium chloride), benzoxonium chloride (benzyldodecyl-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium chloride), cetrimonium bromide (N-hexadecyl-N,N-trimethylammonium bromide), benzetonium chloride (N,N-dimethyl-N-[2-[2-[p-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)-phenoxy]ethoxy]ethyl]benzylammonium chloride), dialkyldimethylammonium chlorides such as di-n-decyldimethylammonium chloride, didecyldimethylammonium bromide, dioctyldimethylammonium chloride, 1-cetylpyridinium chloride, and thiazoline iodide, as well as mixtures thereof. Preferred QACs are the benzalkonium chlorides having C₆ to C₂₂ alkyl residues, in particular C₂ to C₁₄ alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride.

Esterquats include the commercially available methylhydroxyalkyldialkoyloxyalkylammonium methosulfates marketed by the Stepan company under the trademark Stepantex™, or the products of Cognis Deutschland GmbH known under the trade name Dehyquat™, or the Rewoquat™ products of Goldschmidt-Witco.

Surfactants may be employed in amounts of 5 wt % to 50 wt % in a consumer product of the present invention.

Builders include the water-soluble and/or water-insoluble, organic and/or inorganic builders. In particular, they include the water-soluble organic builder substances are polycarboxylic acids, more particularly citric acid and sugar acids, monomeric and polymeric aminopolycarboxylic acids, in particular methylglycinediacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, as well as polyaspartic acid, polyphosphonic acids, in particular aminotris(methylenephosphonic acid), ethylenediaminetetrakis(methylenephosphonic acid), and 1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid, polymeric hydroxy compounds such as dextrin, as well as polymeric (poly)carboxylic acids, polymeric acrylic acids, methacrylic acids, maleic acids, and mixed polymers thereof, which can also contain small proportions of polymerizable substances having no carboxylic-acid functionality. The relative molecular weight of homopolymers of unsaturated carboxylic acids is generally between 5000 and 200,000, that of the copolymers between 2000 and 200,000, based in each case on free acid. Suitable compounds of this class are copolymers of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid with vinyl ethers, such as vinylmethyl ethers, vinyl esters, ethylene, propylene, and styrene, in which the proportion of acid is equal to at least 50 wt %. It is also possible to use, as water-soluble organic builder substances, terpolymers that contain two unsaturated acids and/or salts thereof as monomers and, as a third monomer, vinyl alcohol and/or a vinyl alcohol derivative or a carbohydrate. The first acid monomer or salt thereof may be derived from an ethylenically mono-unsaturated C₃ to C₆ carboxylic acid. The second acid monomer or salt thereof can be a derivative of a C₄ to C₆ dicarboxylic acid, for example maleic acid. The third monomeric unit is constituted by vinyl alcohol and/or an esterified vinyl alcohol. Polymers may contain 60 wt % to 95 wt %, in particular 70 wt % to 90 wt %, (meth)acrylic acid or (meth)acrylate, as well as 5 wt % to 40 wt % vinyl alcohol and/or vinyl acetate. Particular polymers are those in which the weight ratio of (meth)acrylic acid respectively (meth)acrylate to maleic acid or maleate is between 1:1 and 4:1. Both the quantities and the weight ratios are based on the acids. The second acid monomer or salt thereof can also be a derivative of an allylsulfonic acid that is substituted in the 2-position with an alkyl radical, e.g. a C₁ to C₄ alkyl radical, or with an aromatic radical that may be derived from benzene or benzene derivatives. Terpolymers may contain 40 wt % to 60 wt %, in particular 45 to 55 wt %, (meth)acrylic acid or (meth)acrylate, particularly preferably acrylic acid or acrylate, 10 wt % to 30 wt %, by preference 15 wt % to 25 wt % methallylsulfonic acid or methallylsulfonate, and as a third monomer 15 wt % to 40 wt %, by preference 20 wt % to 40 wt % of a carbohydrate. This carbohydrate can be, for example, a mono-, di-, oligo-, or poly-saccharide, e.g. sucrose. The terpolymers generally have a relative molecular weight between 1000 and 200,000. Further copolymers include those that comprise, as monomers, acrolein and acrylic acid/acrylic acid salts, or vinyl acetate. Especially for the manufacture of liquid detergents, the organic builder substances can be used in the form of aqueous solutions, for example a 30- to 50-weight-percent aqueous solutions. All the aforesaid acids may be used in the form of their water-soluble salts, in particular their alkali salts.

Organic builder substances can be employed in quantities of up to 40 wt %.

Water-soluble inorganic builder materials include alkali silicates and polyphosphates, e.g. sodium triphosphate. Crystalline or amorphous alkali aluminosilicates, e.g. crystalline sodium aluminosilicates, may also be employed as water-insoluble, water-dispersible inorganic builder materials, in quantities of up to 50 wt %, for example. Aluminosilicates typically comprise particles having a particle size less than 30 μm.

Crystalline alkali silicates may also be employed, either alone or used with amorphous silicates. The alkali silicates usable in consumer products of the present invention as detergency builders may have a molar ratio of alkali oxide to SiO₂ below 0.95, in particular from 1:1.1 to 1:12, and can be present in amorphous or crystalline fashion. The alkali silicates may be sodium silicates, in particular the amorphous sodium silicates, having a Na₂O:SiO₂ molar ratio from 1:2 to 1:2.8.

Builder substances may be contained in consumer product compositions according to the present invention at levels up to 60 wt %.

Peroxygen compounds include organic peracids or peracid salts of organic acids such as phthalimidopercapronic acid, perbenzoic acid, or salts of diperdodecanedioic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and inorganic salts that release hydrogen peroxide under application conditions, such as perborate, percarbonate, and/or persilicate. If solid peroxygen compounds are to be used, they can be utilized in the form of powders or granulates, which in principle can also be encased in known fashion.

Peroxygen compounds may be employed in amounts up to 50 wt %. The addition of small quantities of known bleaching-agent stabilizers, for example phosphonates, borates respectively metaborates, and metasilicates, as well as magnesium salts such as magnesium sulfate, may be useful.

Compounds that, under perhydrolysis conditions, yield aliphatic peroxocarboxylic adds having preferably 1 to 10 carbon atoms, in particular 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and/or (optionally substituted) perbenzoic acid, can be used as bleach activators. Substances that carry O- and/or N-acyl groups having the aforesaid number of carbon atoms, and/or optionally substituted benzoyl groups, are suitable. Multiple acylated alkylenediamines, in particular tetraacetylethylendiamine (TAED), acylated triazine derivatives, in particular 1,5-diacetyl-2,4-dioxohexahydro-1,3,5-triazine (DADHT), acylated glycolurils, in particular tetraacetyl glycoluril (TAGU), N-acylimides, in particular N-nonanoyl succinimide (NOSI), acylated phenolsulfonates, in particular n-nonanoyl or isononanoyl oxybenzenesulfonate (n- or iso-NOBS), carboxylic acid anhydrides, in particular phthalic acid anhydride, acylated polyvalent alcohols, in particular triacetin, ethylene glycol diacetate, 2,5-diacetoxy-2,5-dihydrofuran, and enol esters, as well as acetylated sorbitol and mannitol respectively mixtures thereof (SORMAN), acylated sugar derivatives, in particular pentaacetylglucose (PAG), pentaacetylfructose, tetraacetylxylose and octaacetyllactose, as well as acetylated, optionally N-alkylated glutamine and gluconolactone, and/or N-acylated lactams, for example N-benzoylcaprolactam, may be employed. Hydrophilically substituted acyl acetates and acyl lactams may likewise be employed. Combinations of conventional bleach activators can also be used. Such bleach activators can be contained in the usual quantity range, by preference in quantities from 1 wt % to 10 wt %, in particular 2 wt % to 8 wt %, based on the entire agent.

In addition to or instead of the aforementioned conventional bleach activators, sulfonimines and/or bleach-intensifying transition metal salts or transition metal complexes can also be contained as bleach catalysts. Included among the appropriate transition metal compounds are, in particular, salen complexes of manganese, iron, cobalt, ruthenium, or molybdenum and nitrogen-analog compounds thereof, carbonyl complexes of manganese, iron, cobalt, ruthenium, or molybdenum, complexes of manganese, iron, cobalt, ruthenium, molybdenum, titanium, vanadium, and copper having nitrogen-containing tripod ligands, amine complexes of cobalt, iron, copper, and ruthenium. Combinations of bleach activators and transition metal bleach catalysts can likewise be used. Bleach-intensifying transition metal complexes, in particular having the central atoms Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Mo, V, Ti, and/or Ru, can be used in conventional quantities, such as up to 1 wt % based on the weight of the consumer product composition.

Suitable enzymes that may be employed in compositions are those from the class of the proteases, cutinases, amylases, pullulanases, hemicellulases, cellulases, lipases, oxidases, and peroxidases, as well as mixtures thereof. Enzymatically active substances recovered from fungi or bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Streptomyces griseus, Humicola lanuginosa, Humicola insolens, Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes, or Pseudomonas cepacia, are also suitable. The enzymes that are used as applicable can be adsorbed onto carrier substances and/or embedded into encasing substances in order to protect them from premature inactivation. They may be contained in washing products according to the present invention in amounts typically below 5 wt %.

Optical brighteners include derivatives of diaminostilbenedisulfonic acid or alkali metal salts thereof. Suitable, for example, are salts of 4,4′-bis(2-anilino-4-morpholino-1,3,5-triazinyl-6-amino)stilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid, or compounds of similar structure that carry, instead of the morpholino group, a diethanolamino group, a methylamino group, an anilino group, or a 2-methoxyethylamino group. Brighteners of the substituted diphenylstyryl type can also be present, e.g. the alkali salts of 4,4′-bis(2-sulfostyryl)diphenyl, of 4,4′-bis(4-chloro-3-sulfostyryl)diphenyl, or of 4-(4-chlorostyryl)-4′-(2-sulfostyryl)diphenyl. Mixtures of the aforesaid optical brighteners can also be used.

Foam inhibitors include organopolysiloxanes and mixtures thereof with microfine, optionally silanated silicic acid, as well as paraffin waxes and mixtures thereof with silanated silicic acid or bis-fatty acid alkylenediamides. Mixtures of different foam inhibitors, for example those made of silicones, paraffins, or waxes, can also be employed. The foam inhibitors, in particular silicone- and/or paraffin-containing foam inhibitors are by preference bound to a granular carrier substance that is soluble or dispersible in water. Mixtures of paraffins and bistearylethylenediamide, in particular may be employed.

Soil release active substances are those compounds that positively influence the ability of oils and fats to be washed out of textiles. This effect becomes particularly apparent when the soiled textile is one that has already been previously washed several times with a washing agent according to the present invention that contains this oil- and fat-releasing component. The preferred oil- and fat-releasing components include, for example, nonionic cellulose ethers such as methyl cellulose and methylhydroxypropyl cellulose having a 15 to 30 wt % proportion of methoxy groups and a 1 to 15 wt % proportion of hydroxypropoxyl groups, based in each case on the nonionic cellulose ethers, as well as polymers, known from the existing art, of phthalic acid and/or terephthalic acid resp. of their derivatives with monomeric and/or polymeric diols, in particular polymers of ethylene terephthalates and/or polyethylene glycol terephthalates or anionically and/or nonionically modified derivatives thereof.

Colour transfer inhibitors include polymers of vinylpyrrolidone, vinylimidazole, vinylpyridine-N-oxide, or copolymers thereof. Also usable are both polyvinylpyrrolidones having molecular weights from 15,000 to 50,000 and polyvinylpyrrolidones having molecular weights above 1,000,000, in particular from 1,500,000 to 4,000,000, N-vinylimidazole/N-vinylpyrrolidone copolymers, polyvinyloxazolidones, copolymers based on vinyl monomers and carboxylic acid amides, pyrrolidone-group-containing polyesters and polyamides, grafted polyamidoamines and polyethylenimines, polymers having amide groups made up of secondary amines, polyamine-N-oxide polymers, polyvinyl alcohols, and copolymers based on acrylamidoalkenyl sulfonic acids. It is also possible, however, to use enzymatic systems encompassing a peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide or a substance that yields hydrogen peroxide in water.

Graying inhibitors are those materials that keep dirt that has been detached from the textile fibers suspended in a washing medium. Water-soluble colloids, usually organic in nature, are suitable for this, for example starch, size, gelatin, salts of ethercarboxylic or ethersulfonic acids of starch or of cellulose, or salts of acid sulfuric acid esters of cellulose or of starch. Water-soluble polyamides containing acid groups are also suitable for this purpose. Starch derivatives other than those recited above can also be used, for example aldehyde starches. Cellulose ethers such as carboxymethyl cellulose (sodium salt), methyl cellulose, hydroxyalkyl cellulose, and mixed ethers such as methylhydroxyethyl cellulose, methylhydroxypropyl cellulose, methylcarboxymethyl cellulose, and mixtures thereof may be used, for example in quantities from 0.1 to 5 wt % based on the weight of the consumer product.

Organic solvents include alcohols having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, in particular methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and tert-butanol, diols having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, in particular ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, as well as mixtures thereof, and the ethers derivable from the aforesaid compound classes. Water-miscible solvents of this kind are present in washing products according to the present invention in amounts typically not exceeding 30 wt %.

pH regulators include citric acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, glycolic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, and/or adipic acid, but also mineral acids, in particular sulfuric acid, or bases, in particular ammonium hydroxides or alkali hydroxides. pH regulators of this kind are contained in the agents according to the present invention in quantities preferably not above 20 wt %, in particular from 1.2 wt % to 17 wt %.

The compounds are may be particularly used to perfume household products containing enzymes, such as those defined above, and in particular textile treatment products, such as detergents, containing enzymes.

There now follows a series of examples that serve to further illustrate the invention.

In general, the compounds of the present invention may be prepared from commercially available 1,4-dihalo benzenes, e.g. 1,4-dibromo benzene, by a cross coupling reaction, e.g. a Negishi coupling reaction with an organozinc compound of type R₁ZnCl, to introduce R₁, followed by a second cross coupling reaction, e.g. a Heck coupling reaction with a (substituted) allyl alcohol, to introduce the aldehyde bearing chain. Alternatively, the Heck coupling reaction might be carried out with an acrylic acid ester, leading to a cinnamic ester, which is subsequently reduced with a hydride reagent, e.g. lithium aluminium hydride, to form a dihydro cinnamic alcohol, which is then oxidised to the aldehyde by standard methods. Alternatively, the aldehyde bearing chain may be attached onto a para-R₁ substituted benzaldehyde by chain elongation reactions, known to the person skilled in the art of organic synthesis, and subsequent selective hydrogenation of the cinnamic aldehydes, to dihydrocinnamic aldehydes in such a way as not to reduce the olefinic moiety of R₁.

Compounds of the present invention with R₂=Me can be prepared by p-alkylation of o-cresol with the required allyl halide, i.e. R₁Cl, followed by transformation of the resulting phenol to a triflate which is then subjected to Heck coupling reactions as described above.

EXAMPLE 1: 3-(4-(2-METHYLALLYL)PHENYL)PROPANAL

2-(di-tert-butylphosphino)-1-phenyl-1H-indole (0.21 g, 0.61 mmol) and bis(dibenzylideneacetone)palladium(0) (0.131 g, 0.227 mmol) were dissolved in dimethyl formamide (9 ml) and the solution stirred under an argon atmosphere for 20 min. Then N-cyclohexyl-N-methylcyclohexanamine (3.55 g, 18.2 mmol), 1-bromo-4-(2-methylallyl)benzene (described in S. Yasuda, Materials 2009, 2(3), 978-991; 3.20 g, 15.2 mmol), and allyl alcohol (2.64 g, 45.5 mmol) were added and the resulting mixture was heated to 100° C. for 3 h, then cooled to room temperature. The mixture was diluted with methyl t-butyl ether and washed with water, 1 N aq. HCl solution and brine. The organic layer was dried over MgSO₄ and concentrated i. RV. The residue was purified by flash column chromatography on SiO₂ with hexane/ethyl acetate (19:1) as eluent to isolate 3-(4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)propanal as a colourless oil (R_(f)=0.19, 2.1 g, 73%).

¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=9.83 (t, J=1.5 Hz, 1H), 7.14 (s, 4H), 4.82 (d, J=0.7 Hz, 1H), 4.78-4.65 (m, 1H), 3.31 (s, 2H), 2.96 (t, J=7.8 Hz, 2H), 2.82-2.75 (m, 2H), 1.72-1.66 (br. s, 3H) ppm. ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=201.7 (d), 145.1 (s), 137.9 (s), 137.7 (s), 129.1 (d), 128.2 (d), 111.8 (t), 45.3 (t), 44.2 (t), 27.7 (t), 22.0 (q) ppm. GC-MS (El, 70 eV): 188 (M⁺), 170 (5), 155 (5), 145 (60), 144 (60), 129 (100), 117 (66), 105 (66), 91 (72), 77 (21), 55 (24), 39 (22).

Odour: floral, green, cyclamen, watery.

EXAMPLE 2: 3-(4-(2-METHYLALLYL)PHENYL)BUTANAL

The above described procedure for example 1 was repeated with the same quantities of catalyst, amine, solvent and 1-bromo-4-(2-methylallyl)benzene but replacing allyl alcohol by (E)-but-2-en-1-ol (3.28 g, 45.6 mmol, 3 equiv.) to isolate 3-(4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)butanal after flash column chromatography purification on SiO₂ (elution with hexane/ethyl acetate 19:1) as a colourless oil (R_(f)=0.22, 0.7 g, 23%).

¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=9.70 (t, J=1.9 Hz, 1H), 7.13 (s, 4H), 4.80-4.78 (m, 1H), 4.72-4.71 (m, 1H), 3.33 (sext, J=7.2 Hz, 1H), 3.31 (s, 2H), 2.68 (qd, J=6.9, 2.3 Hz, 2H), 1.70 (br. s, 3H), 1.30 (d, J=7.0 Hz, 3H) ppm. ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=202.0 (d), 145.1 (s), 143.2 (s), 138.0 (s), 129.2 (d), 126.7 (d), 111.9 (t), 51.8 (t), 44.2 (t), 34.0 (d), 22.2 (q), 22.1 (q) ppm. GC-MS (El, 70 eV): 202 (M⁺, 4), 187 (3), 169 (2), 159 (48), 147 (100), 143 (17), 129 (28), 117 (48), 105 (23), 91 (45), 77 (9), 55 (41).

Odour: floral, green, aldehydic, watery, buttery.

EXAMPLE 3: 2-METHYL-3-(4-(2-METHYLALLYL)PHENYL) PROPANAL

The above described procedure for example 1 was repeated with 47% of the quantities of catalyst, amine, solvent and 1-bromo-4-(2-methylallyl)benzene and replacing allyl alcohol by 2-methylprop-2-en-1-ol (1.0 g, 13.4 mmol, 3 equiv.) to isolate 2-methyl-3-(4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)propanal after flash column chromatography purification on SiO₂ (elution with with hexane/ethyl acetate 19:1) as a colourless oil (R_(f)=0.38, 0.75 g, 80%).

¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=9.70 (d, J=1.5 Hz, 1H), 7.13-7.03 (m, 4H), 4.80-4.79 (m, 1H), 4.72-4.71 (m, 1H), 3.28 (s, 2H), 3.06 (dd, J=13.4, 5.6 Hz, 2H), 2.67-2.55 (m, 2H), 1.67 (br. s, 3H), 1.08 (d, J=6.9 Hz, 3H) ppm. ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=204.5 (d), 145.1 (s), 137.9 (s), 136.5 (s), 129.1 (d), 128.9 (d), 111.9 (t), 48.1 (d), 44.2 (t), 36.3 (t), 22.1 (q), 13.2 (q) ppm. GC-MS (El, 70 eV): 202 (M⁺, 13), 184 (1.5), 169 (1.5), 159 (2), 145 (100), 129 (36), 117 (37), 105 (15), 91 (44), 77 (10), 55 (11), 39 (10).

Odour: aldehydic, metallic, watery, fatty.

EXAMPLE 4: 3-(2-METHYL-4-(2-METHYLALLYL)PHENYL) PROPANAL

3-(2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)propanal was obtained in 3 steps as described below:

A) 2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl) phenol

o-Cresol (54.1 g, 0.5 mol) was suspended in water and KOH (36.5 g, 0.65 mol, 1.3 equiv.) was added under intense stirring. The temperature rose to 45° C. and a grey-yellow solution was formed, which was stirred for further 20 min then cooled to 10° C. At this temperature, 3-chloro-2-methylprop-1-ene (58.9 g, 0.65 mol, 1.3 equiv.) was added dropwise over 15 min. The resulting mixture was stirred intensely for 6 days, then diluted with toluene (300 ml). The organic layer was extracted 3 times with 2 N aq. NaOH solution (500 ml each). To the combined alkaline water layers was added toluene (300 ml), and, under ice bath cooling, conc. aq. HCl solution (350 ml). The layers were separated and the aqueous layer was further extracted with toluene. The combined organic layers were washed to neutrality with brine, then dried over MgSO₄ and concentrated. The residue was distilled over a Vigreux column at 0.06 mbar/76-83° C. to isolate 2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenol (36.2 g, 45%, purity 92%, remainder was o-alkylated product) as a colourless oil.

¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=6.92 (br. s, 1H), 6.87 (dd, J=8.0, 1.8 Hz, 1H), 6.87 (d, J=8.0, Hz, 1H), 4.90 (s, 1H), 4.78-4.77 (m, 1H), 4.71-4.70 (m, 1H), 3.20 (s, 2H), 2.20 (s, 3H), 1.66 (s, 3H) ppm. ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=152.1 (s), 145.7 (s), 132.0 (s), 131.6 (d), 127.5 (d), 123.7 (s), 114.8 (d), 111.6 (t), 43.9 (t), 22.0 (q), 15.8 (q) ppm.

B) Ethyl 3-(2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)acrylate

2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenol (5.0 g, 30.8 mmol) was dissolved in dichloromethane (60 ml) and pyridine (4.63 g, 58.6 mmol, 1.9 equiv.) was added and the solution was cooled to 0° C. Then trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride (1 M in dichloromethane, 32.4 ml, 32.4 mmol, 1.05 equiv) was added via dropping funnel and the resulting solution stirred for 3 h. Then 2 N aq. HCl solution (10 ml) was added dropwise. The aqueous layer was separated, and the organic layer was washed with diluted aq. NaHCO₃ solution and brine, then dried over MgSO₄ and concentrated i. RV. to yield 2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (8.9 g, 98%) as a slightly yellow oil. For the subsequent Heck coupling reaction, this product (30.2 mmol) was dissolved in dimethyl formamide (50 ml), and ethyl acrylate (5.75 g, 57.5 mmol, 1.9 equiv) was added, followed by triethyl amine (15.0 g, 148 mmol, 4.9 equiv). The resulting solution was purged with argon for 10 min, then bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) dichloride (1.06 g, 1.51 mmol, 5 mol %) was added and the mixture stirred for 6 days at 80° C. under an argon atmosphere. The mixture was diluted with MTBE, and washed with water and brine, then dried over MgSO₄ and concentrated i. RV. The residue was purified by FC on SiO₂ (elution with with hexane/ethyl acetate 19:1) to yield (E)-ethyl 3-(2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)acrylate as a colourless oil (R_(f)=0.21, 3.9 g, 53%).

¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=7.95 (d, J=15.9 Hz, 1H), 7.48 (d, J=8.5 Hz, 1H), 7.02 (d, s, 2H), 6.34 (d, J=15.9 Hz, 1H), 4.83-4.82 (m, 1H), 4.75-4.74 (m, 1H), 4.26 (q, J=7.1 Hz, 2H), 3.28 (s, 2H), 2.42 (s, 3H), 1.67 (s, 3H), 1.34 (t, J=7.1 Hz, 3H) ppm. ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=167.2 (s), 144.6 (s), 142.2 (d), 142.0 (s), 137.7 (s), 131.4 (d), 127.0 (d), 126.4 (d), 118.5 (d), 112.3 (t), 60.4 (t), 44.4 (t), 22.1 (q), 19.8 (q), 14.4 (q) ppm.

C) 3-(2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl) propanal

Ethyl 3-(2-methyl-4-(2-methylallyl)phenyl)acrylate (2.0 g, 8.2 mmol) was added dropwise to the suspension of LiAlH₄ (0.47 g, 12.2 mmol, 1.5 equiv.) in Et₂O (40 ml) at 10° C. The resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature under argon atmosphere during 18 h. Then water (0.47 g) was added carefully at 10° C., followed by 15% aq. NaOH solution (0.47 ml) and finally again water (0.9 ml). After stirring the formed suspension for 1 h, the precipitate was filtered off and the filtrate was concentrated to yield a colourless oil (1.7 g). This oil (8.3 mmol) was dissolved in dichloromethane (5 ml) and the solution added to the solution of Dess-Martin periodinane (4.24 g, 10 mmol, 1.2 equiv.) in dichloromethane (25 ml). The mixture was stirred for 2 h, then diluted with MTBE and washed with diluted aq. NaHCO₃ solution, water and brined. The residue obtained after drying over MgSO₄ and concentration was purified by FC on SiO₂ (elution with with hexane/ethyl acetate 19:1) to yield the title compound as a colourless oil. (R_(f)=0.14, 0.60 g, 36%).

¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=9.84 (d, J=1.4 Hz, 1H), 7.04 (d, J=7.5, 1H), 6.97 (s, 1H), 6.96 (d, J=8.2, 1 H), 4.79 (m, 1H), 4.73-4.72 (m, 1H), 3.25 (s, 2H), 2.93-2.89 (m, 2H), 2.74-2.70 (m, 2H), 2.28 (s, 3H), 1.67 (s, 3H) ppm. ¹³C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl₃): δ=201.8 (d), 145.2 (s), 137.9 (s), 136.1 (s), 135.8 (s), 131.0 (d), 128.4 (d), 126.7 (d), 111.8 (t), 44.2 (t), 44.1 (t), 25.1 (t), 22.1 (q), 19.3 (q) ppm. GC-MS (El, 70 eV): 202 (M⁺, 36), 187 (8), 184 (18), 169 (21), 159 (86), 143 (100), 131 (88), 117 (33), 115 (48), 105 (39), 91 (33), 77 (15).

Odour: floral, aldehydic, green, waxy, cinnamic, lilac 

1. A compound represented by formula I

wherein R₁ is —(CHR₄)_(m)—(CHR₅)_(n)—(CHR₆)_(o)—CHO, with R₄, R₅, R₆ being independently selected from H or Me, and with m, n, o being independently selected from 0 and 1; R₂ is Me; and R₃ is a C3-C6 branched, linear or cyclic alkenyl residue.
 2. A pro-perfume, suitable to release at least one compound represented by formula I

wherein R¹ is —(CHR₄)_(m)—(CHR₅)_(n)—(CHR₆)_(o)—CHO, with R₄, R₅, R₆ being independently selected from H or Me, and with m, n, o being independently selected from 0 and 1; R₂ is Me; and R₃ is a C3-C6 branched, linear or cyclic alkenyl residue, the pro-perfume being optionally an aminal and/or enamine of the compound represented by the formula I.
 3. (canceled)
 4. (canceled)
 5. A perfume composition comprising the pro-perfume according to claim
 2. 6. The perfume composition according to claim 5 that is substantially free of any aryl-substituted propanal odourants that are unsubstituted on the aryl ring at a position ortho to the substituent bearing the aldehyde functionality.
 7. The perfume composition according to claim 5 comprising one or more additional fragrance ingredients, optionally 3-(4-isobutyl-2-methylphenyl)propanal.
 8. A personal care or household care composition comprising at least a perfume composition as defined in claim
 5. 9. The personal care or household care composition according to claim 8, further comprising enzymes.
 10. The personal or household care composition according to claim 8, characterised in that it is a textile treatment product.
 11. The personal or household care composition according to claim 8, characterised in that it is a detergent composition.
 12. A method of imparting green odour characteristics to a fine fragrance or consumer product comprising the step of adding thereto a pro-perfume as defined in claim 2, and selectively excluding from said fine fragrance or consumer product any aryl-substituted alkanal compounds, which are unsubstituted on the ring at the position ortho to the substituent containing aldehyde functionality, said selective addition or exclusion being based on the susceptibility of said compounds to enzymatically-mediated degradation to their benzoic acid derivatives when incubated with hepatocytes isolated from rats, said compounds being suitable for addition on the basis that they do not degrade to their benzoic acid derivatives, whereas said compounds being excluded on the basis that they do degrade to their benzoic acid derivatives.
 13. The perfume composition according to claim 5 that is substantially free of 3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-2-methylpropanal.
 14. The compound according to claim 1 wherein R₃ is a C3-C6 branched, linear or cyclic alk-2-enyl residue.
 15. The compound according to claim 1 wherein R₃ is a C3-C6 alk-2-enyl residue with an exo-methylene group.
 16. The compound according to claim 1 wherein R₃ is a C3-C6 branched, linear or cyclic alk-2-enyl residue carrying a CH₂ group in alpha position to the phenyl ring.
 17. The compound according to claim 1 wherein R₃ is selected from the group consisting of allyl, 2-methylallyl, 2-methylenebutyl, 3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl, 3-methylbut-3-en-2-yl and but-2-en-1-yl.
 18. A perfume composition comprising at least one compound according to claim
 1. 19. The perfume composition according to claim 18 that is substantially free of any aryl-substituted propanal odourants that are unsubstituted on the aryl ring at a position ortho to the substituent bearing the aldehyde functionality.
 20. The perfume composition according to claim 18 that is substantially free of 3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-2-methylpropanal.
 21. The perfume composition according to claim 18 comprising one or more additional fragrance ingredients, optionally 3-(4-isobutyl-2-methylphenyl) propanal.
 22. A personal care or household care composition comprising at least one compound as defined in claim
 1. 23. A method of imparting green odour characteristics to a fine fragrance or consumer product comprising the step of adding thereto at least one compound of formula I as defined in claim 1, and selectively excluding from said fine fragrance or consumer product any aryl-substituted alkanal compounds, which are unsubstituted on the ring at the position ortho to the substituent containing aldehyde functionality, said selective addition or exclusion being based on the susceptibility of said compound of formula I or said ortho unsubstituted compounds to enzymatically-mediated degradation to their benzoic acid derivatives when incubated with hepatocytes isolated from rats, said compound of formula I being suitable for addition on the basis that it does not degrade to its benzoic acid derivatives, whereas said compounds being excluded on the basis that they do degrade to their benzoic acid derivatives. 